Israel Condemns Arab Blacklisting of Norwegian Ship

June 7, 1957

JERUSALEM (Jun. 6)

Israeli sources said today that even under the “illegal Arab criteria,” there was no basis for the Arab blacklisting of the Norwegian ship, “Vestvard,” which completed passage yesterday through the Suez Canal.

The Vestvard, which had unloaded at Elath after a trip through the Strait of Tiran and the Gulf of Akaba, was stopped at Port Said and then permitted to go through the Canal. Egyptian sources said the ship would never be permitted Suez transit again because it had been used to deliver cargo to Israel.

Israeli observers said the Egyptian action was a “striking example of arbitrary violation of freedom of navigation by Nasser while he claims ‘observance’ of the Constantinople convention.”